The Forgotten Navy

I made this Essay for a World History class April 2023.
It is about a 8 Min read.

When we think of the Romans of any age, there are many things that may come to mind. Her stark red banners and golden eagle finials that would shine in the light of a Mediterranean sun. Her bombastic games of speed, bravery, and blood. perhaps even her architecture that fits both form and function gracefully, a style we still heavily borrow from for our most important buildings today. We all eventually think on her Legions, the world’s first professional army - complete with service contracts, standardized equipment, standardized training, and strict chain of command. However, despite being active in the middle of the world’s most traveled sea, for warfare and commerce, the Roman Navy is hardly ever mentioned in her history. What was Rome’s navy like, and when did it sail? Most of all, why is this history forgotten?

In terms of their geographical neighbors, the Romans did not develop their navy until they absolutely had too. Much of their maritime trade was already protected by the nations they did trade with and thus, did not need Roman state protection. It was not until the Romans came into direct conflict with the Carthaginians during the Punic Wars that they would scramble to build their first sanctioned navy. The force was called the “Classis”, which directly translates to “fleet”, and its creation was serendipitous. Having never levied a navy before, the Romans were forced to use whatever was at their disposal, which happened to be an enemy ship that grounded itself on their shoreline. “Carthaginians having put to sea in the Strait (ships) to attack (the Romans), a decked vessel of theirs charged so furiously that it ran aground and falling into the hands of the Romans, (the enemy ship) served them as a model on which they constructed their whole fleet”(Polybius). Fortunately, the vessel  in question was most likely the “Actuaria,” the most advanced warship at the time (see Fig1).

Naval warfare doctrine, since the Trojan war, dictated that the proper way to fight in the sea was by way of ramming ships together. A "rostrum" or "rostellum” was the part of a military vessels used for this, less than delicate, form of warfare. They were typically made of bronze or iron and were mounted on the prow of the ship to pierce the hull of an enemy vessel, causing it to sink. Ships of opposing sides would slam into each other at high speeds, targeting sensitive areas such as the stern or side beams. But the Romans would not subscribe to this idea, viewing it as barbaric and ill-refined.

In just two months, the Roman Army forged itself into a Naval power with 120 warships based on the cutting-edge designs of their enemy with one important addition - the Corvus (Polybius).   Also known as the Raven, the Roman addition was an effectively ingenious device that would force enemy ships into conventional land warfare and would prevent ramming. In this way, the Romans could field their Legionaries in a naval capacity from relative safety. These naval legionaries would eventually be called “marines”.

During their first Naval battle near Mylae, the Romans met Carthaginians head on. Despite the enemy forces being on their battlefield of choice, the sea, the Romans annihilated them completely. So infuriated were the Carthaginians that after the battle, they would crucify their own admiral, Hannibal Gisco, who was responsible for the failure.

This successful tactic would continue throughout the rest of the Punic Wars. The Romans, despite being initially considered the underdogs  would continue to humiliate the supposed ‘most powerful naval force on the planet’ time and time again.

Perhaps the best example is the battle of Cape Economus in 256 BCE, possibly the largest naval battle ever with over 600 warships and well over a quarter million sailors. The battle ended as a decisive Roman victory, when only 20 Romans warships would sink in comparison to the 30 sunken and 60 captured Carthaginian warships.

After this series of wars, the Romans would continuously field their Naval power for further conquest, missions of diplomacy, and trade. This naval dominance would change the way they viewed the Mediterranean and eventually they would call it “Mare Nostrum” which means “our sea” (Couperus)

Later, Roman boat builders would put their engineering skills to work and develop the “Liburna” class of ships during the beginning of the Imperial Age (See Fig2). Based on Mediterranean pirate ships, these warships would first see use in the battle of Actium. With careful planning by Agrippa, the Liburna fleet easily outmaneuvered and encircled naval forces of Marc Antony and Cleopatra to final victory in 31BC (Plutarch).

When not focused on dominating their military opponents at sea, the Roman Navy would become one of the world’s most powerful trading empires as well. This was achieved with state standardized merchant class ships called “Oneraria” and later the larger “Corbita” design, both of which used a crane loading technique that were unique at the time(See Fig3). This crane loading techniques would not be rediscovered by humanity until after the 1950’s (Naval Encyclopedia). These advancements proved how adept the Romans had become at maritime shipping in only 200 years.

Most impressively the Romans would create giant river boats and barges for both trade and luxury cruises called “Zwammerdam” (Carole)(See Fig4). The largest of these hips were the ‘Nemi’ party ships built for Emperor Caligula.  Named after the lake in which they were built, many historians doubted the legendary size of the Nemi ships until some remains were discovered in the 1930’s. The ships were 240ft long, larger than a 747 wingspan, and 80ft across, as wide as a four-lane freeway. It is safe to say these ships were big (See Fig5). Although their specific use is lost to time, it is likely that they were used as luxury houseboats and test platforms for nautical engineering. It should be noted that these ships did not move out of the lake on which they were built. Within the structure many interesting discoveries were made, such as the oldest ever use of ball bearings as they were used to rotate a platform on the top deck, as well as piston water pumps used for maintaining the ships freshwater bathes, and the world’s oldest bilge pump (Bunch).

So, with all its history and advancement, why is it that the Roman Navy is relegated to obscurity? The most likely answer is two-fold.

The navy was not a place where the wealthy would go to make a name for themselves, as this was always the place of the Legion. Being a land general was more respectable than admiralty due to the stigma of crude tactics of barbarity from its ancient origins. At this time being a part of a naval or shipping crew was dangerous, dirty, and ripe with criminal behavior.

Secondly, battlefields of ancient naval warfare were, and still are, hard to witness firsthand. Unless someone was present to see a battle, or a terrible storm, it would likely be more easily forgotten than a battlefield strewn about with corpses and debris. There is also less for archaeologists to find, as ships made of wood have mostly rotted away into nothing by this time, as even now large modern metal ships are difficult to detect in the ocean.

However, I think it is time we respect the soldiers and scientists that made the Roman state possible through its navy. Respect is long overdue, and their sacrifices and advancements have been grossly overlooked, especially when you consider how successful they were. Without the Roman fleet, Carthage might have won the Punic Wars, and widespread starvation would have occurred across western Europe. Their engineering prowess to create new technology and break tradition should be commended and remembered. They fought and died for their world, just as we do for ours. In truth, their legacy has been to act as selfless actors in the play of life, and they deserve a moment of time in your thoughts.

Sources
Polybius. “Histories, 1.20.” Evelyn S. Shuckburgh. translator. London, New York. Macmillan. 1889. Reprint Bloomington 1962.
Polybius, Histories, book 1, The Romans Build Ships (tufts.edu)

Carol. “The Roman Navy.” Life in the Roman Empire, 2016, 
https://carolashby.com/the-roman-navy/.

Naval Encyclopedia. Roman Ships - From SPQR to the Imperium. (2023). Retrieved 23 April 2023, from https://naval-encyclopedia.com/antique-ships/roman-ships

Couperus. “A Short History of Roman Law.” Olga Tellegen-Couperus, 1993, Page 32.

Plutarch." Plutarch’s Life Of Antony ". Penelope.Uchicago.Edu, 2023, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Antony*.html#65-66.

Bunch, Bryan H. “The history of science and technology”, 2004, Page 81.

Carole. AD 119 – The boatmen of the Rhône river erect a statue in honor of Hadrian (#Hadrian1900) FOLLOWING HADRIAN" AD 119 – The Boatmen Of The Rhône River Erect A Statue In Honor Of Hadrian (#Hadrian1900) FOLLOWING HADRIAN". FOLLOWING HADRIAN, 2020, https://followinghadrian.com/2020/08/17/ad-119-the-boatmen-of-the-rhone-erect-a-statue-in-honour-of-hadrian/. Accessed 23 Apr 2023.

Scuba. Divers Searching for Emperor's 2,000-Year-Old Party Barge "Scuba Divers Searching For Emperor's 2,000-Year-Old Party Barge". Scuba Diving, 2017, https://www.scubadiving.com/scuba-divers-searching-for-emperors-2000-year-old-party-barge. Accessed 23 Apr 2023.